The West African country of Ivory Coast has been on the brink of civil war since incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo lost November’s democratically held elections to Alassane Ouattara, by 8 percent of the vote. With the backing of the nation’s army and much of its population, Gbagbo has refused the UN's ultimatum for a “last chance” to peacefully step down.

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There are limits to what the United Nations or international organizations can do short of a full-scale invasion of Ivory Coast….

To explain more about what this ongoing situation means to the people of Ivory Coast is Mamadou Diouf, Director of the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University. Former United Nations Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan Peter Galbraith joins us to tell us how a rogue member of a small African nation can essentially hold the UN hostage.